Vending machine compartment structure



Feb. 10, 1942. J. w. SRODULSKI VENDING MACHINE COMPARTMENT STRUCTUREFiled Aug. 25, 1959 Patented Feb. 10, 1942 ()FFICE VENDING MACHINECOMPARTMENT STRUCTURE 6 Claims.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of a compartmentstructure for vending machines and the like, the structure beingadjustable so that the compartment may be easily enlarged or madesmaller to accommodate packages of different sizes.

Another object is a compartment structure including opposite wallmembers arranged for adjusting movement toward and away from each other,and gauge means to assist in the proper positioning of the wall members.

Another object is an arrangement of mutually adjustable wall sections ina vending machine for the purpose of providing merchandise compartmentsof desired size.

A further object is the provision of a vending machine compartmentstructure including opposite wall members mounted for movement towardand away from each other, and an extensible back wall and mechanism foradjusting the same, whereby to permit changing the size of thecompartment.

Other novel aspects, objects, and economies of the invention reside incertain particulars of construction and operation of the illustrativeem-' bodiment described hereinafter in view of the drawing in which:

Fig. l is a front fragmentary perspective of the adjustable compartmenttiers in a vending machine;

t Fig. 2 is a vertical side section through one Fig. 3 is a fragmentaryhorizontal section along line 3-3 of Fig. 2 at slightly larger scale.

In the preferred arrangement of Fig. l, the compartment structureincludes mutually adjustable side wall plates l and H movably mounted inthe cabinet I2 of a vending machine by means including the provision ofchannel or U-shaped shoes l (Fig. 2) which are mounted by welding or thelike on offset edge portions I6 (Fig. 3) of the wall plates with thebight portions ll projecting outwardly for slidable mounting engagementwith channeled supports.

The shoes I5 are mounted near the upper and lower parts of each wallplate, the lower shoes being attached to elongated ofiset flanges I6which serve as back-stops in each compartment 20.

The bight portions ll of the shoes fit slidably into the channel orrecessed parts of channel brackets 22 (Fig. 2 particularly), and aresecured therein by means of clamping screws 23 which are threaded intothe bight part of t shoe through horizontally elongated slots 24 in thebacks of the channel brackets, the latter being mounted to extend inhorizontally parallel relation at the front of the machine cabinet bymeans of angle brackets 25.

Thus, the partition or side wall plates in and I! are mounted inopposite vertical position for bodily movement toward and away from eachother by virtue of the sliding disposition of the shoes IS in thechannels 22.

Gauge means for setting the wall members in desired positions ofadjustment with the top as well as the bottom portions of the plateproperly aligned in the same plane, includes the provision of indicia orgraduated reference marks 28 (Figs. 1 and 3) on the top and under sidesof the bottom and top channels, the graduations corresponding topositions of alignment with the main vertical wall portions of the wallplates.

To complete the compartment structure, there is provided an extensibleback wall which includes a relatively stationary mounting plate 3!](Fig. 2) secured in vertical position, between the side plates or wallsIll and H, on horizontal cross arms 3| attached by screw means 32 to theopposite side walls of the cabinet l2. Each back plate has oppositeoffsets or flanges 33 along its vertical edges,

Each extensible wall unit includes a movable wall plate 35 also havingopposite vertical edge flanges 36, and each movably attached to acorresponding mounting plate for uniform bodily displacement toward andaway from the latter by means of pairs of hinge or toggle plates 31pivotally joined along their inner edges by a pintle 38 extendedhorizontally through interfitted hinge sleevings 39 struck up therefrom,the remaining free edge of each hinge plate opposite the centrallyhinged edge thereof bein turned over to provide a pintle sleeve 4!]through which is extended a pintle rod 4| (Fig. 3) secured at oppositeextremities in the flange portion 33 of the stationary mounting plate,and to the flange portions 36 in the movable wall plate.

As a result of the foregoing arrangement, each movable back plate 35 canbe pushed bodily toward or away from its mounting plate.

Means for adjusting the movable back wall includes the provision of avertical connecting rod 44 pivotally attached at its opposite ends tothe pintle rods 38 of the pairs of hinge plates at the top and bottom ofthe structure. The middle pair of hinge plates is slotted as at 45 topermit the rod 44 to pass therethrough, the rod having an elongated slot46 through which the pintle rod 38 passes. A U-shaped strap 4! is fittedonto the connecting rod at the slotted part of the middle hinge plates,and a set screw 48 is threaded into the bight of the U-shaped strap, andwhen the screw is loosened, the strap is free to move up and down on theconnecting rod. The pintle 38 is extended through the strap 7 41 so thatthe up and down movement of the latter is limited by the abutment of thepintle 38 with opposite ends of the slot 46.

When the clip or strap 41 is moved up or down, the middle pair of hingeplates, between which it is disposed, is likewise moved and the effortis transmitted to the movable plate 35 and particularly the hinge means31 at the upper and lower ends thereof.

As a result of the foregoing arrangement, plate 35 may be collapsedagainst its stationary plate 36, or withdrawn therefrom until the hingeplates straighten out in horizontal position.

The movable back wall plate 35 is provided with slots 50 through which ascrew driver may be inserted to loosen or tighten the set screws 48.

In operation, the attendant may open the vending machine from the front(front panel not seen in Fig. l), and by loosening the screws 23 of oneor more compartments, the vertical side walls I and H may be spreadapart or moved closer together, the exact positioning of the wall platesbeing effected by reference to the gauge markings 28 at the top andbottom of the compartment. Thereafter the screws 23 are tightened.

If it is necessary to change the depth of the compartment, a screwdriver is inserted through the hole 53 in the corresponding back wallplate 35 to loosen the set screw 48, the attendant working the screwdriver up or down to move the strap 4'! and shift the plate 35; or hemay in some instances employ his fingers for this purpose. Thereafterthe screw 48 is tightened and the compartment is ready for use.

An important feature of the invention, particularly as applied tovending machines, resides in the adjustability of the bottom deflectingskirt on the movable back wall member 35.

In operating the vending machine, a coin is deposited in some suitableform of coin. tester (not shown) which is arranged to free the controlhandle 55 in the customary manner familiar to those engaged in this art.The handle 55 is pushed inwardly and the rear flange portion 55 of aslide plate bears against the front side of the lowermost pack M of astack of merchandisc and slides the same toward the left (Fig. 2) untilit rests on a spring trap 51 pivoted as at 58 and which drops intodotted line position to permit the article M to gravitate down adischarge chute 58 to the patron.

In order to prevent more than one package be ing vended at a time, avertically adjustable skirt or wing it is mounted at the bottom of eachmovable back plate 35 by means of a set screw 6! which extends through avertically elongated slot 62, provided in each movable back wall plate,and into an upper offset part 63 of the skirt plate. The lower offsetportion 64 of the skirt or apron bears against the lower edge part 65 ofthe movable back plate, the material around the opening 62 for the setscrew being embossed to provide a protuberance 5t against which theupper ofiset 63 of the apron or skirt bears.

The adjustable apron or skirt is further guided in slots 6'! cut intohorizontal projections El at the bottom of each vertical side flange 3'6on the movable back plate.

The importance of the adjustable skirt lies in the fact that theejecting clearance at the bottom of each movable back plate may bechanged to accommodate merchandise packages of different height, inaddition to the ready adjustments permitted in the other two dimensions.

The appended claims are not intended to be confined to any details ofconstruction or operation of the specifically described illustrativeembodiment except as may be eXpressely provided therein.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. An adjustable article compartment for use in vending machines and thelike and including a pair of channel members and means mounting the samein vertically spaced horizontally parallel relation with the channelportions thereof facing and lying substantially in the same verticalplane, a pair of side wall plates each having offset portions arrangedalong corresponding vertical edge portions thereof and each havingU-shaped shoe means attached in vertically spaced relation to saidoffset portions in positions to fit respectively into channel portionsof said channel members whereby said side wall plates are mounted inupright position in substantially parallel planes, said channel membersbeing provided with horizontally extensive slot portions, and attachingmeans extended through each of said slots into one of said U-shaped shoemeans to secure the latter in the channel portions for horizontalmovement of the same and said plates in the manner aforesaid, meansproviding a compartment bottom in the region neneath said side wallplates, a back wall member mounted in upright position for movement backand forth between said side wall plates for cooperation with the latterto define a compartment of adjustable size.

2. An adjustable article compartment for use in vending machines and thelike and including a pair of channel members and means mounting the samein vertically spaced horizontally parallel relation with the channelportions thereof facing and lying substantially in the same verticalplane, a pair of side wall plates each having offset portions arrangedalong corresponding vertical edge portions thereof and each havingchannel shoe means attached to said offset portions in positions to fitinto the channel parts of both said channel members whereby said sidewall plates are mounted in upright position in substantially parallelplanes, said channel members being provided with horizontally extensiveslot portions, and attaching means extended through each of said slotsinto one of said shoe means to secure the latter in the channel portionsfor horizontal movement of the same and said plates in the manneraforesaid, means providing a compartment bottom in the region beneathsaid side wall plates, a back wall member mounted in upright positionfor movement back and forth between said side wall plates forcooperation with the latter to define a compartment of adjustable size,said back wall member having a vertically movable bottom portionarranged and constructed for movement into predetermined spaced relationwith said compartment bottom to provide a discharge passage of desiredheight leading from said compartment.

3. An adjustable article compartment for use in vending machines and thelike and including a pair of channel members and means mounting thesamein vertically spaced horizontally parallel relation with the channelportions thereof facing and lying substantially in the same verticalplane, a pair of side wall plates each having ofisetportions arrangedalong corresponding vertical edge portions thereof and each havingU-shaped means attached to said offset portions in positions so that thebight portions thereof fit into channel portions of said channel memberswhereby said side wall plates are mounted in upright position insubstantially parallel planes, said channel members being provided withhorizontally extensive slot portions; and attaching means extendedthrough each of said slots into one of said U-shaped means to secure thelatter in the channel portions for horizontal movement of the same andsaid plates in the manner aforesaid, means providing a compartmentbottom in the region beneath said side wall plates, a back wall membermounted in upright position for movement back and forth between saidside wall plates for cooperation with the latter to define a compartmentof adjustable size, said offset portions of the side wall platesextending toward each other in a predetermined region between the topand bottom portions of into predetermined spaced relation with oppo-'site extremities of an article or articles.

4. An adjustable article compartment for use in vending machines and thelike and including a' pair of channel members and means mounting thesame in vertically spaced horizontally parallel relation with thechannel portions thereof facing and lying substantially in the samevertical plane, a pair of side wall plates each having offset portionsarranged along corresponding vertical edge portions thereof and eachhaving U-shaped shoe means attached to said ofiset portions in positionswith the bight portions thereof fitting into channel portions of saidchannel members whereby said side wall plates are mounted in uprightposition in substantially parallel planes, said channel members beingprovided with horizontally extensive slot portions, and attaching meansextended through each of said slots into one of said shoe means tosecure the latter in the channel portions for horizontal movement of thesame and said plates in the manner aforesaid, means providing acompartment bottom in the region beneath said side wall plates, a backwall member mounted in upright position for movement back and forthbetween said side wall plates for cooperation with the latter to definea compartment of adjustable size, said channel members being providedwith scalar indicia extending in a horizontal direction between thelimits of horizontal displacement of the side wall plates toward andaway from each other and with reference to which said side Wall platesmay be correspondingly positioned in predetermined aligned relation.

5. In an adjustable article compartment structure for vending machines,opposite side wall plates each having a longitudinal edge offsetlaterally toward the ther and disposed in spaced relation thereto, toconstitute a combination article confining means and mounting means forthe plates, parallel channel bars mounted to extend transverselyopposite said offset edge parts of the plates, and U-shaped shoesarranged in spaced relation on said offset edge parts and each fittingslidably into one of said channel bars to support the correspondingplate for adjustable movement relative to the opposite plate, and meansfor releasably fixing said shoes in positions of adjustmentin saidchannel bars.

, 6. In a compartment structure including opposite wall plates, thecombination with said plates of means mounting the same for adjuste ingmovement toward and away from each other,

opposite one of said shoes, and retaining means.

extended through said slots into the corresponding shoes for maintainingthe latter in the channel, said shoes being slidable horizontally in thechannel to permit adjusting movement of the plates toward and away fromeach other.

JOSEPH W. SRODULSKI.

